Idea Factory and its otome factory, Otomate, is at its best when working with stories based in history. Hakuouki, for example. Or the first Birushana, which was set in the Heian period of Japanese history and let you hang out with Benkei and other famous boys (made pretty) while the Genpei War raged around Japan. I believe this to be true because the historical context adds layers to the traditional romance plots of otome. Presenting real figures of the time, however romanticised, is also a good incentive to go learn something about the real personas, and I’m always a fan…